Hinge assembly for an appliance lid and installation method therefor

Abstract

A laundry appliance includes a cabinet having a top panel that defines an aperture for selectively accessing a treatment chamber defined within the cabinet. A lid is rotationally operable relative to the aperture of the top panel between open and closed positions. Hinge assemblies extend between the lid and the top panel. The hinge assemblies include a first hinge assembly. A second hinge assembly is selectively retractable into the lid to a retracted position. A biasing member biases the second hinge assembly out to an extended position. At least the second hinge assembly is operable to the retracted position to bypass a portion of the top panel to define an installed position where the first and second hinge assemblies are engaged with respective hinge receptacles of the top panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for installing a lid onto an appliance comprising steps of:
 positioning a guide structure on a cabinet; 
 aligning respective sloped portions of the guide structure to slope downward and toward a lid opening of the cabinet; 
 positioning a first hinge and a second hinge on the respective sloped portions; 
 sliding said lid downward and along the sloped portions and toward the lid opening, wherein the sloped portions bias the first hinge and the second hinge toward a retracted position, wherein the sloped portions define different slopes, wherein the different slopes are calibrated to provide different opposing biasing forces against installation springs of the first and second hinges; 
 disposing said lid below the sloped portions and into the lid opening, wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are each biased outward toward respective hinge receptacles of the cabinet; and 
 engaging the first and second hinges within the respective hinge receptacles to secure said lid to the cabinet. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning the guide structure includes positioning opposing guide members of the guide structure that define the respective sloped portions that slope toward the respective hinge receptacles. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the step of positioning the first and second hinges on the sloped portions includes positioning the first hinge, defining a damper, and positioning the second hinge, providing a lift-assist function, onto the respective sloped portions of the opposing guide members. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the damper is a one-way damper that operates only when said lid moves from an open position to a closed position relative to the cabinet. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the opposing guide members of the guide structure are separate components that are separately attached to the cabinet.